Auburn vs. Mississippi State Football: Tigers Win, 17-14

Hey all, Bailey Brautigan here, live blogging tonight's Auburn-MIssissippi State game. It's an early season SEC showdown and a chance to both teams to shine on national television. Join me for the next three hours as we talk the game, the announcers, the fans, and everything else going on down in Starkville, Miss. ___________________________________________________________________________

10:50 p.m. ET: Pass interference call on Auburn, and we might be going into OT if the Dogs get in range of a field goal.

4th and 10 with 27 seconds on the clock. You can't make this stuff up. But the Dogs can't pull off the first down.

Final Score: Auburn 17, MSU 14

And that's all folks!

If you enjoy following the live blogs here on Bleacher Report, you'll have a feast on Saturday. We're live blogging seven more games on Saturday, including Georgia-South Carolina at Noon; Florida-South Florida at 12:20; Michigan-Notre Dame and Florida State-Oklahoma at 3:30; Ohio State-Miami at 3:40; and Penn State-Alabama and Oregon-Tennessee at 7:00 (all times EDT). So you can watch one game and follow another here on B/R, toggle back and forth between multiple live blogs, and chip in with your comments on any or all of those games.

10:46 p.m. ET: Shout out to Brandon, who seems to be starting his own blog in my comments section :)

MSU with 4th and long, and they got it!

Fresh set of downs, but Relf is sacked. By Nick Fairley. Amazing.

10:38 p.m. ET: Mario Fannin is out for the rest of the game with a shoulder injury, but we are unsure of how severe it is. He is out of pads and icing his shoulder.

Auburn is really getting beat up, but a nice play with Newton and Kodi Burns with a double pass, and Newton will pick up some serious yardage.

3rd and 1, and the Dogs need to hold if they want any shot at winning. And they will.

Auburn brings out their field goal unit.

38 yard field goal attempt for Wes Byrum, and it's blocked!

The Dogs are hungry!

10:34 p.m. ET: Last week, played the second most true freshmen in season-opening games with 14.

10:27 p.m. ET: If Auburn scores on this drive that could very well be game over for the Bulldogs, and MSU's D knows it.

3rd and 15 for the Tigers.

Auburn will have to punt again.

This is definitely getting repetitive.

Fun Fact: Auburn is 4-0 in SEC games played on Thursday night. Did you know that? Because I didn't.

I love how random football notes can be.

Like this one: MSU has lost the past 14 games they've played when they trailed in the fourth quarter.

Personally, I don't consider three points trailing. And that note doesn't mean anything.

10:21 p.m. ET: Now that MSU has the ball, maybe we'll see some more from my pick for Player of the Game: Nick Fairley

MSU deep in their own end zone, and of course the pressure from Fairley forces the Dogs to punt.

This is starting to get a little boring.

Anybody know the score of the Saints game?

10:14 p.m. ET: Mario Fannin! Where did you come from? He picks up 27 yards, but there's a holding call. Ouch. 2nd and 28!

3rd and 13 after Newton escapes a sack and makes a run for it.

Ha! An official just fell backwards over a pylon. Well that's embarrassing!

Auburn punts.

Enough of this back and forth, guys! Both defenses have definitely shown up for this game, but I'm ready for a little more action.

10:10 p.m. Cam Newton is so versatile. I hate to keep comparing him to Terrelle Pryor, but his height and speed make him look a lot like Ohio State's QB.

10:07 p.m. ET: The Bulldogs will continue their game of "musical quarterback" as they bring in Tyler Russell.

Tricky tricky, Bulldogs. Auburn's D isn't fooled by the hard count.

That was short lived. MSU will punt.

10:04 p.m. ET: MSU's D is doing what they do best, and Newton is sacked! But there's a flag on the play. Illegal shift on the offense.

Way to rub salt in the wound.

Auburn will punt, and the Bulldogs will take over around the 20.

9:56 p.m. ET: These MSU fans are out of control with their cowbells. Cam Newton is looking confused, but he'll keep the ball for a first down.

54,806 people in the stadium tonight, and Jenn Brown says it sounds like all of them have these cowbells.

Newton to Adams for 18 yards after his first attempt was nearly picked off.

Michael Dyer looks so tiny standing next to Cam Newton.

Newton to Adams again for another first down. These two have some serious chemistry.

9:51 p.m. ET: That onside kick was basically worthless. 3 and out for MSU.

9:46 p.m. ET: Mississippi State with an onside kick, and they get it!

What a game!

Relf and company will take possession again!

9:42 p.m. ET: MSU's drive ends in a Mississippi State TOUCHDOWN! Extra point is good!

Auburn 17, MSU 14

9:31 p.m. ET: The second half is underway, and Relf had a nice pass to Vick Ballard for the first down. If Relf would have been a touch more accurate, Ballard would have gone all the way for a touchdown.

Relf is showing that he can run the ball too, and he'll bring the ball just short of the Auburn 20- 2 away from a first down. And Patrick Hanrahan will have a nice catch for a first down.

It's looking like MSU will score on this drive, but with turnovers all over the place, who knows?

Auburn's secondary is having trouble dealing with MSU's excellent blocking.

Halftime: What have we learned?

Cam Newton can run. MSU needs to pick a quarterback.

And Nick Fairley should be cloned. Several times. 31 to be exact.

That kid is an animal!

Take a break. I'll be back after the half!

9:05 p.m. ET: The first half is winding down, and I doubt we'll see much more action in the 40 seconds left in the game.

Injury Update: Lee Ziemba is walking around, but we are unsure if he will play after halftime.

Pretty play and some nice yardage for Onterrio McCalebb as Auburn picks up another first down. The Tigers will try to make it within field goal range with 9 seconds left in the half.

But they run out of time.

And that's the half folks!

Auburn 17, MSU 7

9:00 p.m. ET: That bulldog is so adorable!

MSU is looking great on this drive, and they'll take a fresh set of downs around their 45.

I do think that the Dogs need to hurry up and pick quarterback though.

8:54 p.m. ET: Cam Newton picks up the first down, but there's a flag for illegal formation.

Add 5 and do it again, boys!

And they can't get it done.

Add three points with a field goal.

Auburn 17, MSU 7

8:50 p.m. ET: Onterrio McCalebb brings Auburn to the MSU 20, and Cam Newton's legs will do some more work. He reminds me of another quarterback up north... You know, the one that plays in a big Shoe?

8:46 p.m. ET: Chris Relf in again for MSU. Relf grew up in Montgomery, Alabama and grew up watching Auburn. Needless to say, he was very excited during the week leading up to this game.

Second turnover in a row for MSU, as Relf fumbles. And guess who recovers?

Oh yeah: Nick Fairley.

8:42 p.m. ET: But it doesn't work: Cam Newton to Darvin Adams for another Auburn TOUCHDOWN!

Extra point is good.

This is turning into quite the football game!

Auburn 14, MSU 7

8:38 p.m. ET: Cam Newton is a beast of a man, and Auburn knows how to use him. Newton picks up 17 yards with a quarterback draw.

1st and goal, and Newton drops the ball.

Don't worry, folks. He recovered.

This MSU defense is not letting Auburn get away with anything. Penalty on Auburn: Block in the back.

3rd and goal, and Bulldogs fans are trying to psych out the Auburn offense.

8:35 p.m. ET: Senior offensive lineman Lee Ziemba is injured for Auburn, and it appears to be in his right shin area.

I don't know. I'm not a doctor.

Hopefully he's not hurt too bad because there has been talk of him being great in the NFL.

8:27 p.m. ET: Brandon Heavens had over 100 yards receiving last game against Memphis, and the sophomore sets up a first down for MSU.

Yeah, I've been hearing about how bad Auburn's defense is for a while now, but whoever was saying that must have had the wrong team. Nick Fairley is doing some serious damage in the backfield.

3rd and 8 for MSU, and let's hope the Bulldogs can find an answer to enormous Nick Fairley.

Nope. Interception.

By. Nick. Fairley.

8:23 p.m. ET: Mississippi State's O-Line is showing their experience in this game.

And don't worry:

There are plenty of cowbells in the stands!

8:20 p.m. ET: Auburn is driving at the MSU 20, but a long shot by Cam Newton is intercepted in the end zone by safety, Nickoe Whitley!

This is the second turnover of the night for Auburn, and it's only the first quarter!

For those of you who were anticipating a blowout, boy were you wrong!

8:15 p.m. ET: But it's a Mississippi State TOUCHDOWN! Extra point is good!

Auburn 7, MSU 7

If you enjoy following the live blogs here on Bleacher Report, you'll have a feast on Saturday. We're live blogging seven more games on Saturday, including Georgia-South Carolina at Noon; Florida-South Florida at 12:20; Michigan-Notre Dame and Florida State-Oklahoma at 3:30; Ohio State-Miami at 3:40; and Penn State-Alabama and Oregon-Tennessee at 7:00 (all times EDT). So you can watch one game and follow another here on B/R, toggle back and forth between multiple live blogs, and chip in with your comments on any or all of those games.

8:14 p.m. ET: Chris Relf will try to run it in for a touchdown, and there is some speculation that it could have been fumbled.

7:46 p.m. ET: And we're off Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers will take the field, and a first down by Terrell Zachery will bring Auburn to the 50 yard line.

Auburn's offense is lightning fast, but MSU's defense is looking great, stopping the Tigers from picking up the one yard they need for the first down.

But on 4th and one, Cam Newton does what he does best: He uses his feet to pick up the first down.

Newton to Emory Blake for a 39 yard Auburn TOUCHDOWN! Extra point is good.

7:42 p.m. ET: With the SEC stacked (yet again) this year, both of these teams are looking for a win to start their conference schedule off right. Mississippi State has a particularly difficult schedule ahead of them with away games at LSU, Florida, and Alabama.

7:30 p.m. ET: Davis Wade Stadium is sold out, football fans!

Auburn has won its past four games in Starkville, Mississippi, and MSU's Bulldogs haven't started a season 2-0 since the year 2000.

MSU has never started its conference schedule with a win over an SEC West rival. Let's see if they can make it happen tonight at home.

6:50 p.m. ET: Both Auburn's Cam Newton and Mississippi State's Tyler Russell had record-breaking/tying games last week, with Newton running for 171 yards against Arkansas State and Russell throwing four touchdown passes against Memphis.

This will be the second group of tigers that MSU will face this season, and next week they'll head to Baton Rouge to play LSU's Bayou Bengals. That's right, the Bulldogs will play their first three games of the season against tigers. We'll find out tonight if MSU can tame another group of cats.